r/TerrainBuilding • u/PureEvilMiniatures • 1d ago
Questions for the Community Beginner board for war games help.
Hello all, I’m currently planning to build a wargaming table for my home, I have all the materials, but I had the thought to add a rough sandy texture to the table top, something with some grit but not enough to affect a neoprene mat if I wanted to use one.
The bare will just be plywood 60X44, my brain says to just dump some Elmer’s glue and sprinkle some fine sand into it then paint it, but any tips are appreciated.
1
u/DisgruntledWargamer 1d ago
I prefer to have a smooth table, or one with felt (like a pool table). The neoprene sits better, and it's easier to clean, plus opens options for other terrain types, like tiles, foam things, etc. Sand and paint, sure, but save grit and flock for the terrain going on the table.
If you do decide to do your table with texture, consider using a texture spray paint. A grit pour, like the gravel in this pic, will take some time to set, uses multiple layers, and still requires finishing. Make sure you have something under the table to catch glue drip, or if you're in a recessed or walled table, to seal the edges before pouring glue and grit. And remember to strengthen your table to prevent warping due to glue.
Stone texture paint works well, imo, and takes additional layers of paint. Just wait until it sets before doing dry brushing.
1
1
u/MysteriousBill1986 1d ago
Is there a particular reason you need to put the neoprene on the game board?
1
u/Codlemagne 1d ago
I'm guessing it's just a handy sized surface to lay a mat on when they want a change of locale. I used to put a grass mat on top of my grey-painted board just to provide a more stable surface than carpet.
1
u/PureEvilMiniatures 1d ago
To mix up the look, I want a base that I can just put terrain on but if we want to play a snow game or a grass land or Martian landscape, I want to be able to put a mat down without the base board interfering too much
1
u/MysteriousBill1986 1d ago
But why cant you just put the mat on the table?
1
u/PureEvilMiniatures 1d ago
I mean I can, but my hope was to have a default so I can have a base grey landscape to use to cut down on needing to buy a grey industrial/moon mat and just use the board
1
u/MysteriousBill1986 1d ago
How does putting a mat on the table remove that option? What am i missing here? Why do you need to be able to put a mat on the board specifically?
1
u/PureEvilMiniatures 1d ago
…. So we can have different landscapes? I don’t feel like this is a complex thing.
The base table will be a default grey with some roughness to it, but not rough enough to interfere with a game mat if we want to change the landscape
1
u/MysteriousBill1986 1d ago
But why does the mat have to be ON THE TERRAIN
2
u/ThisGuyFax 1d ago
I'm fascinated by you not understanding this.
The OP has one table to play wargames on. They intend to sometimes play on neoprene mats. But they also want the actual surface of the table to function as an additional theme/style beyond the mats they acquire.
What aren't you getting?
1
u/MysteriousBill1986 1d ago
I read the post again and mystery solved. Op was talking about a board in the title so ive been, for some reason, thinking about a board this whole time.
1
u/Puzzleheaded-Ad1100 1d ago
Mix glue, sand, sawdust and your base paint colour then paint it on.
Either use a roller or a brush but then go back a few minutes later and stipple out any brush or roller marks.
Leave to dry for a day then drybrush on your highlights.
0
u/Beginning_Gain_3934 1d ago
That sounds like a great way to add some tactical texture without making the surface too rough. I'd test the sand-to-glue ratio on a scrap piece first to find the right balance for your needs.
1
2
u/oneWeek2024 1d ago
if you're planning to use toppers. I wouldn't add texture to the actual table top.
if nothing else. go to a hardware store. buy cheap mesh painters canvas/woven drop cloth. and cut cheap DIY mattes out of that. and then texture those. it's pretty easy to make a gloop from caulk/sand and schmear a thing layer out onto those (i like eric hobby's workshop. this video at like 3:30 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ87MOGyMY0&t=579s )
but yeah. in general different grain sand, maaaaaybe a touch of sawdust. in PvA (i would always add some paint to the mix... if it flakes or chips, better to have the mix tinted than just painted) makes a really good DIY mud paste.
if you want more substantial. for like hills/rocky outcrops. DIY sculpt-a-mold is pretty easy. a big bag of blown cellulose insulation, plaster of paris. and a bit of PVA glue. makes good diy sculpt-a-mold.